I think the creators of Gunfire At Indian Gap tried to make a sincere message western about judging people out of prejudice. But due to time and budgetary constraints and Republic Pictures in its last days muddled the message. Herbert J. Yates at Republic was going down with all flags flying again putting out his wife Vera Hruba Ralston in an effort to make her a star.
Vera's not performing with John Wayne, Fred MacMurray, or Wild Bill Elliott any more, she's got young Anthony George as a leading man with an atrocious Mexican accent. George gets himself in a nice jackpot when he's accused of being part of a gang who held up a stagecoach where a guard is wounded and one of the outlaws is killed.
Sheriff Barry Kelley without a shred of evidence other than the fact he does not like Mexicans holds George in a locked room at the stagecoach station. But George even if he's in trouble is one fast worker. Ralston falls big time for him and helps him escape. And George MacReady who was a passenger on the stagecoach, but in actuality the outlaw leader gives him the money he filched while at the station and tells him to meet up with the rest of the gang.
All I can say is after that it's every man and woman for himself and Ralston's got an additional problem with John Doucette one MacReady's henchmen who's got designs on her.
George who later got some better roles on television is a pretty lame cowboy hero. Ralston gives her usual lack of conviction. And MacReady who was a classic villain in several Randolph Scott westerns just looks downright embarrassed to be in this film.
In fact Gunfire At Indian Gap is pretty lame all around.
